Global Youth Service Days – April 18-20, 2024

History of Global Youth Service Days

Every country is dependent on its youth to ensure its future. This is why countries invest heavily in education. But unlike in developed countries where the education sector boasts systems that thoroughly train students in leadership, that in developing countries is generally fragile and needs further boost, if not an “overhaul.”

Observed as the National Youth Service Days years ago in the U.S., these days celebrate the success of an international congregation of youth volunteers who have devoted their time and talent to community service.

Youth volunteerism dates back to ancient times when Greek and Persian wars tapped young men willing and able to join their armies. At that time, joining the army to defend their states from foreign invasion was considered a form of community service greater in value than any kind of public service. During the Industrial Revolution, as children and youth were forced into manual labor, politicians would call it “a great service” to the nation (though “forced labor” taken in its right context is now considered a human rights violation).

Although child labor has now been outlawed in many countries, it is considered one’s moral duty to serve the community in whatever way he or she can.

For this purpose, Global Youth Service Days have been celebrated as a three-day event in which young leaders aged five to 25 take center stage as community service providers calling attention to the need for young people to devote some time to serve their communities. Recent years have seen this social phenomenon expanding to more than a hundred countries — preparing the youth to take on the reins when needed.